Swiftpoint's tiny mouse finally up for pre-order, shipping in August

It's been a long couple of years since we last heard from Swiftpoint, but the company is back with a (tiny) bang and introducing its eponymous ultraportable mouse. Touting a pen-like grip, tilt-scrolling, and a 30 to 40 percent better efficiency than your touchpad, this little thumb accessory wants to be seen as the solver of an eternal problem -- namely, getting all the utility of a desktop rodent without having to deal with its full size. Whether it lives up to that lofty goal will require some fingers-on time to determine, but the Swiftpoint does a very credible job on the battery front: it can turn a 30-second charge into an hour's use and can last 3 to 4 weeks on a fully juiced cell. It all sounds quite appealing, but be prepared for some sticker shock as the pre-order price is £67 in the UK or $70 in the USA... and that's with a 10 percent early bird discount included. We might just wait till these hit the sales before grabbing one.

Swiftpoint has announced the release of the Swiftpoint mouse for early August 2010. "It is extremely exciting to be able to announce to the world that the Swiftpoint mouse will be available in a matter of weeks," says company CEO and product inventor Grant Odgers, "We have been receiving regular enquiries from people wanting to know when they can get their hands on one, so now we can confirm it is very soon."

The Swiftpoint mouse is a different kind of mouse. It provides all of the functions of a traditional mouse, however, it operates on the area of the laptop next to the touchpad, called the palmrest. This means laptop users can use their laptop in any environment they choose and still maintain the performance and accuracy a mouse gives. With the Swiftpoint mouse laptop users will never have to rely on a touchpad again.

The idea for the product came to Odgers in 2002 when his frustrations with the touchpad on his laptop grew. He wanted to be truly mobile with his laptop but could not do this with a traditional mouse. He discovered that he was not alone in this thinking, but in discussions with other laptop users, he realized there was no other mouse alternative that would allow him to use his laptop away from a table or desk without having to rely on a touchpad. Eight years on and after multiple product iterations, user group input and product testing, Odgers believes the Swiftpoint mouse will greatly improve people's laptop experiences whether for commuting, gaming or simply browsing on the couch. "The Swiftpoint mouse can be used in so many environments and with a variety of applications from precision design applications, gaming to general laptop use on planes, trains, buses or around the home. We truly believe it will change the way people use their laptops."

Odgers also believes the Swiftpoint mouse has the potential to address ergonomic issues often associated with using small mice. The Swiftpoint mouse has been designed to employ a pen-like grip making it feel natural and comfortable to use. Research has demonstrated that the Swiftpoint mouse design is 30-40% more accurate than a touchpad. The combination of portability, efficiency and comfort is what Odgers and his team believe make this mouse truly unique.

The Swiftpoint mouse will be sold online through the company's website www.futuremouse.com and through Amazon, with plans to expand into further retail outlets later in 2010.